H2416c H2416c
Living creature, wild beast, animal; also the visionary 'living beings' of Ezekiel, and abstractly 'life' or 'vitality.'
This Hebrew feminine noun chayyah covers the full spectrum from ordinary wildlife to the awe-inspiring living creatures of prophetic vision. In its most frequent usage, it denotes wild animals — 'the beast of the field' or 'beast of the earth' (Gen 1:25; Gen 3:1) — where Arabic consistently renders wahsh (wild beast) and German uses Tier. Yet in Ezekiel's throne visions (Ezek 1:5, 13–14), the same word describes the four supernatural living beings, and Korean notably shifts to saengmul ('living thing') to mark the visionary register. With possessive suffixes, chayyah can also mean 'life' or 'vitality' (Job 33:18–28), where Arabic switches to hayat, revealing a distinct abstract sense that the Hebrew form leaves ambiguous.
Senses
1. wild beast, animal — The general zoological sense of a wild animal or beast, especially in construct phrases like chayyat hassadeh ('beast of the field') and chayyat ha'arets ('beast of the earth'). This is the dominant usage at 79 occurrences, covering everything from the serpent in Eden (Gen 3:1) to prophetic warnings about wild beasts devouring the land (Ezek 14:15). Arabic wahsh, Spanish bestia/animal, French bête, and German Tier all converge on the wild-animal reading, distinguishing this clearly from domesticated livestock (behemah). 79×
AR["حَيَوانُ", "حَيَوَانَ", "حَيَوَانِ", "وَحشُ", "وَحشِ", "وَحْشِ", "وُحُوشَ"]·ben["জন্তু", "পশু", "পশু-", "পশুদের", "বন্য-পশু"]·DE["Getier", "Tier", "Tier-von", "Tiere", "Tieren", "die-Tiere"]·EN["beast-of", "beasts-of-", "creature-of"]·FR["animal", "bête-de", "creature-de"]·heb["חיה", "חיית", "חית"]·HI["जंगली-जानवर", "जानवर", "जानवरों-ने", "जीव", "जीव-ने", "जीवोन"]·ID["binatang", "binatang-binatang", "binatang-binatang-liar", "binatang-liar", "liar"]·IT["animale", "bestia-di", "creature-di"]·jav["kewan-alasan", "kéwan", "kéwan-galak-ing", "kéwan-wana"]·KO["짐승", "짐승-", "짐승들-이", "짐승을", "짐승이", "짐승이-", "집승들의"]·PT["animais-de", "animal", "animal-de", "fera-de", "o-animal-de", "vivente-de"]·RU["животного", "животное", "животному", "звере", "зверей", "зверем", "звери", "зверь", "зверю", "зверя"]·ES["animal-de", "bestia-de", "la-bestia-de"]·SW["mnyama-wa", "wanyama", "wanyama-wa"]·TR["canlısının", "canlısıyla", "hayvanları", "hayvanlarına", "hayvanlarını", "hayvanı", "hayvanın", "hayvanını", "hayvanının", "vahşi-hayvanını", "yaratığına"]·urd["جانور", "جانوروں", "جانوروں-نے", "جانوروں-کو", "جانوروں-کی", "جانوروں-کے", "درندے"]
2. living creature (visionary being) — The supernatural 'living creatures' of Ezekiel's visions — the four-faced, four-winged beings that bear the divine throne (Ezek 1:5, 13–14; Ezek 10). Though the Hebrew word is identical to the common animal term, the visionary context transforms its meaning entirely. Korean saengmul ('living entity') and Spanish seres vivientes ('living beings') mark this shift, while German and French sometimes retain Tiere/êtres vivants. The 16 occurrences cluster almost exclusively in Ezekiel 1 and 10, plus Psalm 104:25 where the teeming sea creatures share the sense of vibrant, God-animated life. 16×
AR["الـ-حَيَواناتَ", "الـ-حَيَواناتِ", "الـ-حَيِّ", "الْحَيَوَانُ", "الْحَيَوَانِ", "حَيَوانات", "حَيَواناتٍ", "وَ-الـ-حَيَواناتُ"]·ben["-জীবন্ত-প্রাণীদের", "-জীবন্ত-প্রাণীর", "-জীবন্ত-প্রাণীরা", "-সেই-জীবের", "আর-জীবন্ত-প্রাণীরা", "জীবন্ত-প্রাণী", "জীবন্ত-প্রাণীর", "সেই-জীব"]·DE["Tiere", "das-Tier", "die-Tiere", "living-Geschöpfe", "und-der-Tiere"]·EN["and-the-living-creatures", "living-creatures", "the-living-creature", "the-living-creatures"]·FR["et-le-êtres-vivants", "l'être-vivant", "les-êtres-vivants", "vie", "êtres-vivants"]·heb["ה-חיה", "ה-חיות", "ו-ה-חיות", "חיות"]·HI["और-जीवधारी", "जीव", "जीवधारियों", "ते-जीवधारियों", "ते-जीवधारी"]·ID["Dan-makhluk-makhluk-hidup-itu", "makhluk-hidup", "makhluk-hidup-itu", "makhluk-makhluk-hidup-itu"]·IT["bestie", "creature-viventi", "e-il-bestie", "il-animale", "il-bestie"]·jav["Lan-makhluk-gesang-punika", "makhluk-gesang", "makhluk-gesang-punika", "makhluk-makhluk-gesang-punika", "sato-gesang"]·KO["그-생물들", "그-생물들을", "그-생물들의", "그-생물들이", "그-생물의", "그-생물이", "그리고-그-생물들은", "생물-들-이", "생물들"]·PT["E-os-seres-viventes", "animais", "o-ser-vivente", "os-seres-viventes", "seres-viventes"]·RU["живого-существа", "живое-существо", "животные", "и-существа", "существ", "существа", "существами"]·ES["Y-los-seres-vivientes", "el-ser-viviente", "la-criatura", "los-seres-vivientes", "seres-vivientes"]·SW["kiumbe-hai", "na-viumbe-hai", "viumbe-hai", "ya-kiumbe-hai", "ya-viumbe-hai"]·TR["canlı-varlık", "canlı-varlıklar", "canlı-varlıkları", "canlı-varlıkların", "canlı-varlığın", "canlılar", "gezen", "tekerleklerde", "ve-canlı-varlıklar"]·urd["اور-جاندار", "جاندار", "جاندار-کی", "جاندار-کے", "جانداروں-کو", "جانداروں-کی", "جانداروں-کے", "جانور"]
3. life, vitality — Abstract 'life' or 'vitality,' appearing primarily with possessive suffixes — 'his life,' 'my life' — in poetic and wisdom texts, especially Job 33:18–28 where the word occurs repeatedly in the context of God preserving a person's life from the pit. Arabic hayat (life), a completely different nominal form from hayawan (animal), cleanly distinguishes this abstract sense. Spanish vida and German Leben similarly confirm that these 11 occurrences carry the meaning of animate existence or vital force rather than any reference to a creature. 11×
AR["(وَ-حَياتُهُ)", "[وَحَياتِي]", "حَياتُهُ", "حَياتُهُمْ", "حَيَاةَ", "حَيَاتِي", "وَ-حَياتَهُ", "وَ-حَياتُهُ", "وَ-حَياتُهُم", "وَحَيَوَانَاتِهِمْ"]·ben["[আর-আমার-জীবন]", "আর-তাদের-জীবন", "আর-তার-জীবন", "এবং-তাদের-জীবন", "জীবন", "জীবন-আমার;", "তাদের-জীবন", "তার-জীবন"]·DE["Tier", "mein-Leben", "und-Tier", "und-ihr-Leben"]·EN["(and-his-life)", "[and-my-life]", "and-his-life", "and-their-life", "his-life", "life-of-him", "life-of-them", "my-life", "renewal-of"]·FR["animal", "et-leur-animal-eux", "et-mon-animal-moi", "et-son-animal-lui", "et-vie", "son-animal-lui", "vie"]·heb["ו-חייתם", "ו-חיתו", "ו-חיתי", "ו-חיתם", "חיות", "חייתו", "חייתם", "חיתו", "חיתי"]·HI["उनका-जीवन", "उसका-जीवन", "और-उनके-जीवन", "और-जीवन-उनका", "और-जीवन-उसका", "और-जीवन-उसके", "और-जीवन-मेरा", "जीवन", "जीवन-उसका", "मेरे-जीवन-को"]·ID["(dan-hidupnya)", "[dan hidupku]", "dan-hidup mereka", "dan-hidupnya", "dan-kehidupan-mereka", "hidup-ku", "hidupnya", "kekuatan"]·IT["animale", "bestia", "e-vivente", "e-vivente-loro", "e-vivente-mio", "e-vivente-suo", "vivente", "vivente-suo"]·jav["(lan-gesang-ipun)", "Gesang", "[lan-gesang-kula]", "gesang-ipun", "gesang-kula", "gesang-piyambakipun", "gesang-tiyang-tiyang-punika", "lan-gesang-ipun", "saha-gesang-ipun"]·KO["(그리고-그의-생명이)", "[그리고-나의-생명이]", "그들-의-목숨-을", "그들의-삶이라", "그리고-그들-의-생명이", "그리고-그의-생명을", "그리고-그의-생명이", "그의-삶을", "그의-생명이", "나-의-생명-을", "삶을-"]·PT["[Ketiv]", "e-sua-vida", "minha-vida", "sua-vida", "vida-de", "vida-dele", "vida-deles"]·RU["(и-жизнь-его)", "[и-жизнь-моя]", "жизнь-", "жизнь-его", "жизнь-их", "жизнь-мою", "жизнью-своей", "и-жизнь-его", "и-жизнь-их"]·ES["(y-su-vida)", "[y-mi-vida]", "la-vida-de", "mi-vida", "su-vida", "vida-de-ellos", "vida-de-él", "y-su-vida", "y-vida-de-ellos"]·SW["[na-uhai-wangu]", "maisha-yake", "maisha-yangu", "maisha-yao", "na-maisha-yao", "na-uhai-wake", "na-uhai-wao", "nguvu", "uhai-wake"]·TR["(ketib)", "casnluligi-", "hayatı", "hayatımı", "ve-hayatları", "ve-hayatlarını", "ve-hayatı", "ve-hayatım", "ve-hayatını"]·urd["اس کی زندگی", "اور-اس کی زندگی", "اور-اس کی زندگی کو", "اور-ان کی زندگی", "اور-اُن-کی-زندگی", "اور-میری زندگی", "اُن-کی-زندگی", "اپنی-زندگی", "زندگی", "میری-زندگی-کو"]
4. sense 4 — A single occurrence in Job 38:39, where the word appears in a context suggesting 'appetite' or 'craving' of the lioness — 'Can you satisfy the appetite of the young lions?' English renders 'appetite,' Spanish apetito, while French and German default to the animal sense. This hapax usage likely represents a specialized extension of the 'vitality/life-force' sense applied to predatory hunger, though some lexicons treat it as a textual or interpretive crux. 1×
AR["وَجُوعَ"]·ben["আর-জীবন"]·DE["und-Tier"]·EN["and-the-appetite-of"]·FR["et-animal"]·heb["ו-חיית"]·HI["और-जीवन"]·ID["dan-selera makan"]·IT["e-vivente"]·jav["lan-gesang-ipun"]·KO["그리고-식욕을"]·PT["E-a-fome-de-"]·RU["и-голод"]·ES["y-apetito-de"]·SW["na-hamu"]·TR["ve-iştahını"]·urd["اور-بھوک"]
Related Senses
H3808 1. simple negation (not) (4839×)G1722 1. locative: in, within (2442×)H1004b 1. house, dwelling, building (2015×)G3756 1. not (negation particle) (1635×)H7200 1. Qal: to see, perceive (1257×)H4480a 1. source or separation (1198×)H5892b 1. city, town (1093×)G4771 2. you (singular address) (1077×)G1519 1. direction: into, to, toward (1061×)H3427 1. Qal: to dwell, inhabit (937×)H8085 1. Qal: hear, perceive aurally (921×)G1537 1. from, out of (source/origin) (886×)H8034 1. Name (designation / identifier) (856×)G3361 1. subjective negation (not) (834×)G1909 1. on, upon (spatial surface) (757×)H0859a 1. you (2nd person masculine singular pronoun) (743×)H0369 1. existential negation: there is not (738×)H5869a 1. in the eyes/sight of (evaluative) (734×)H5650 1. Servant, attendant, subject (723×)H0408 1. prohibitive negation do-not (712×)
BDB / Lexicon Reference
† I. חַיָּה n.f. living thing, animal (Zinj. wild beast DHMSendsch. 34)—ח׳ Gn 8:17 +; cstr. חַיַּת Is 57:10 +; old case ending (poetic) חַיְתוֹ Gn 1:24 ψ 50:10; 79:2; 104:11, 20 Is 56:9(×2) Zp 2:14; sf. חַיָּתִי ψ 143:3, etc.; pl. חַיּוֹת Lv 14:4 + 12 times— 1. animal, as a living, active being: a. in general, Gn 8:17 Lv 11:2, 27, 47(×2) Nu 35:3 (P) ψ 104:25 Is 46:1 Dn 8:4. b. wild animals, on…